Penile Implant Surgery – How Is It Performed?
What is Penile Implant Surgery?
Penile implant surgery or penile prosthesis is the surgical procedure that is advised to treat erectile dysfunction in males who are refractory to traditional treatment options. The procedure is expensive as compared to traditional therapies or drugs but yields satisfactory long-term results.
In this surgery a prosthetic device is placed inside the penis and scrotum. This device assists in recovering sexual functions in males by making erection possible again. The dimensions of the device are generally picked by the healthcare practitioner considering the age, sensitivity, infection risk and past medical history of patient.
What are the different types of Penile Implant?
There are various types of penile implants available for potential candidates, depending upon the need and requirement of patients. Before selecting the type of implant, doctors analyze some factors to decide which type is most appropriate for patient. Such as
- Age
- Body type
- Penis size
- History of any pelvic or abdominal surgery
- Colostomy
- Any allergies or added risk of developing infection
Inflatable plant:
It is most common type of implant that is found in both inflated and deflated forms. Doctors deploy the implant after carefully analyzing the patient’s requirement and choices. Sometimes antibiotics are also advised to reduce the chances of infection. It has two types
- Three-piece inflatable pumps:
A chamber which is packed with fluid is placed in the abdominal wall, a controlling device is positioned in the scrotum and a pump and two cylinders fixed within the penis.
Its mechanism involves pushing the pump when required as a result the fluid thrust out from the chamber to the inflatable cylinder making the penis to erect. After sexual activity, the fluid moves back to the releasing device. This is one of the best ways to get natural erection however, it requires a comprehensive surgery
- Two-piece implants:
It works in the same way as three-piece pumps but its fluid container is placed within the scrotum as part of pump. The erection it gives is less rigid as compared to three-piece pump but its surgery is also less comprehensive.
Semi – Rigid Implants:
This type of implant requires a surgical procedure to insert two supple rods in the penis. It makes the penis to move up when required and then curve again towards the penis when not needed. The procedure is very simple and the chances of any complications or untoward effects are also low. However, the worst part is it keeps the penis somewhat rigid constantly which is difficult to hide and might cause some injuries to the penis sometimes.
Procedure of implantation:
As part of the procedure, your doctor takes patient’s history, history of past surgeries, medical conditions to analyze the sensitivity and risk of developing infections.
Next step is complete physical and urological examination of patients that is carried out in order to understand the nature and severity of erectile dysfunction and whether an operation or surgery is required or not. The patient is informed about the risk and complications involved in this surgery so an informed consent can be obtained.
After official procedures and prerequisites, surgery is performed after administering anesthesia to the patient along with antibiotics to avoid any infection and allergy.
The incision is made on the penile head, base and abdomen area. Your surgeon analyzes the correct size of the implant required. If the patient is undergoing a 2-piece inflatable surgery then the regulator and pump both are inserted in the scrotum however, if the patient is going through 3-piece inflatable pump then another incision is made on the wall of abdomen to insert fluid reservoir. The duration of procedure is about 45 minutes to one hour.
Post-operative cautions to avoid further complications:
The doctors prescribe pain killers and antibiotics to avoid any post-procedure pain, infection and other complications after the surgery for at least one week. The penis should be kept in upward position to avoid bending. The candidates can indulge in sexual activities after at least 4 to 6 weeks of procedure.